Ladynoir July 2017
by La Luna Unita
Summary: These are my one-shots (and a few connected prompts) for Ladynoir July 2017. If a day is illustrated, I'll put a note in that you can find the art on my tumblr!
1. Day 1: Patience and Day 2: Banter

Day 1: Patience is an illustration on my tumblr account.

Day 2: Banter

"I've had enough, Chat!" Ladybug whirled on her partner, an accusing finger pointed in his direction. He took in her flushed cheeks and irritation, his teasing grin slipping just a little.

"What, I can't compliment my Lady?" He held up both hands to protest his innocence, stopping short on the rooftop they'd been loping across.

She gripped her small hands into fists and stamped one foot. "That's not what I mean, and you know it."

"All this because i said you look _meow_ -velous?" Chat Noir smiled at the reprise of his own joke.

"Augh! The puns! Always with the puns! I can't stand any more!"

"Maybe you should sit, then." He watched as Ladybug's face went from red to white then back to red again. She seemed like she might explode, if her expression was any indication. Chat Noir pursed his lips, amazed. His puns were great! And they added an important flair to their superhero work. What could be wrong with them?

"Say one more word. I dare you." Ladybug walked slowly toward him, feeding out her yo-yo. Good Lord, had she been akumatized? Surely the power of puns wasn't this strong.

" _Paw_ -don me, Bug, but the puns are _purr_ -fect and I'm _feline_ a little too much hostility from you. I'll grant there's a _paws_ -ibility I overuse them, but you're obviously the su- _purr_ -ior hero here, and I gotta use my best _tail_ -ent in the field." As the words left his lips, he could see he'd gone too far. Their partnership was officially over, and he was officially a dead body on an anonymous Paris rooftop. He backed away from Ladybug's dark expression as she stalked him across the small roof. He stopped short as something painfully barked his back - the chimney of the home below. Uh-oh.

Ladybug continued to advance, looking furious. "You look _furr_ -ious," he murmured. Oh, geez, he couldn't stop. _Purr_ -haps she had a point - a small one. She stepped into his awkward stance and poked her nose right up into his face. Chat couldn't move, mesmerized by the boiling emotion in her -

Ladybug's grimacing lips locked onto his in a hard kiss. Shocked, he didn't move, but then his senses returned to him and he threw his arms around her, pulling her close to breathe in her scent and return the enthusiastic salutation with his own. Without taking her lips from his, Ladybug reached both hands up and combed her fingers through his hair, causing a cat-like shiver to tingle down his spine. He sighed at the pleasurable touch and tightened his hold to lift her and bring her closer, but she broke away. A slightly dazed look fogged her features as she leaned back, signaling the moment was over. He reluctantly released her to the rooftop, breathless.

"Maybe that will shut you up for a while," she growled, affecting a sulky tone.

"So if I _keep_ talking… does it mean you'll do that again?"


	2. Day 3: Explosion

"Happy Birthday, Chat Noir!" The shrill welcome came out of the darkness, but Chat Noir relaxed when he saw his partner sail forward, a tray expertly balanced in one hand.

"Uh… thanks? Sorry, Ladybug, it's not my birthday."

"I know that, silly," she giggled. He raised one eyebrow at her playful tone. "But since I don't know when your birthday actually is…" Ladybug indicated the tray with one hand, "Ta da!"

A lovely array of cupcakes was set before his nose and Chat sniffed the sugary odor appreciatively. They were iced with delicate, expert recreations of his ring: green paw prints against black icing.

"Wow, Ladybug, did you do these? That's amazing! I didn't know you had such talent."

"You like them? Really? How sweet." Ladybug smiled brightly and her teeth gleamed in the shadows. Chat Noir squinted at her. Something dripped down onto her left cheek. It looked black in his night vision. Was that… blood?

"Uh, Bug? You've got something - just there - " Chat Noir brushed his knuckle against his own cheek to indicate the spot. "Are you okay?"

Ladybug reached up to run her fingers along the bottom edge of her mask. "Oops, how'd that get there?" She giggled again and licked her forefinger. "Mmmm. Not bad."

"Did you just… wait, what was that?" Chat Noir wasn't sure whether he felt concerned or repelled. Concern won out and he stepped close to look Ladybug in the eyes, relieving her of the cupcake tray as he did so. Now that he stood barely two feet away, he could make out her features in the moonlight without the aid of his mask. He switched it off to get a better view of his Lady. With relief, he saw that she didn't appear to have a cut on her cheek, but her mask had an odd smear of white at the bottom. Leftover cupcake batter? She stared at him, expressionless as a doll. Chat Noir tentatively reached out to rub away the smear and she let him. He drew back a gloved thumb covered in red, not white. It smelled like...icing?

"Oh, phooey, you ruined the surprise," murmured Ladybug as the red and black of her costume melted off of her body, running in rivulets down her arms and legs. Underneath, an identical costume of white with pink spots revealed itself. Chat Noir stumbled backward, stunned.

"You're not Ladybug!" he shouted, still holding the cupcakes in front of him, somehow perversely reluctant to drop the nicest birthday surprise he'd never received.

"Mmmmaybe I'm not, maybe I am. Who's to say?" The high-pitched tone of her giggle raked his sensitive ears. Chat Noir shuddered. Ladybug - the girl - whoever she was - stepped forward confidently, unhooking her pink-and-white yo-yo as she did so. She _tsked_ with her tongue and shook her head sadly. "You should be more careful, Chat Noir. Transforming in the middle of a park on a sunny day, with no more cover than one large tree? Pathetic. I had no trouble following you. I hardly had to try. And now, _Adrien_ , maybe you'll understand why I said - time and time again - we _need_ to _keep_ our _identities_ secret." She emphasized each word with a slap of the yo-yo against her palm. Chat Noir carefully set down the tray with one hand, keeping his eyes on the advancing girl. He reached backward for his baton, but she was ready for him. He heard the yo-yo fly past with a _zzzssssszzz_. It wrapped around his right wrist, then, astounding him, looped around his back and captured the left wrist as well.

Humming to herself, the not-Ladybug girl jerked hard on the line, spinning him forward until he was wrapped up in the excess. He came to a stop in front of her. This close, he felt certain this was the same girl under the Ladybug costume, whoever she was. Her unmistakable eyes, her soft lips. She even had the same freckles on her nose. How had Hawkmoth ever enchanted her? A stab of guilt hit him in the stomach as Chat Noir realized… this was all about him. He'd gotten careless, so used to living his double life without anyone the wiser. Well, she knew who he was now. She must have been furious when she saw him in the park.

Not-Ladybug's mouth stretched in a rictus grin as she playfully tapped his nose. "Now that I know you're Adrien Agreste, I actually _do_ know when your birthday is, but I just couldn't wait. Have a seat, my sweet. Hmmm," she said, considering, as she shoved down hard on Chat Noir's shoulders, forcing him to his knees, "that wasn't as good as one of your puns, but I suppose it was only a first attempt. Look here." Not-Ladybug gripped his chin tightly with one white glove and yanked up hard on his trapped arms with the other. He felt a spike of pain in his shoulders and leaned forward to relieve it. She toed the cupcake tray under his downturned face. Were they poisoned? Was she forcing him to eat them?

Fingers tight as a vise on either side of his face, not-Ladybug leaned close enough to tickle Chat Noir's ear with her breath. His pulse sped up, akuma or no akuma, as she whispered, "I saved you one more surprise. Happy un-birthday." She gently kissed his cheek and dozens of akumas exploded forth from the cupcakes, swarming him with evil energy.


	3. Day 4: Common Interests

Day 4: Common Interests

 **This is meant to be sort of a Private Eye AU!**

Ladybug crouched low at the edge of a sloping metal roof. She dipped her head below the gutter to look left, then right over a dark alley. Seeing no one, she slipped forward on her stomach until she could roll off the edge, her fingertips gripping the gutter as her biceps engaged to hold her weight above the ground. She dropped soundlessly onto the pavement below. _Perfect_. She checked left and right again, secure in her solitude. Hawkmoth's dirty hush money wouldn't buy innocence for much longer. Her client had a solid lead on evidence exposing Hawkmoth's vile akuma racket. Ladybug just had to go get it. Simple - for a Parisian girl with a Miraculous.

Quick, silent steps brought her to a rusty metal door marked with chalk. An unremarkable scribble matched what her client had brought her on a bar napkin - the subtle signal that this warehouse was owned by Hawkmoth. She pressed her ear to the door, but it was silent inside. Her luck was definitely holding. No perimeter guards, no one working inside. She would have been suspicious that this was a wild goose chase, except that her client, known only as N.S. to Ladybug, swore up and down that this was the headquarters of Hawkmoth's operations. N.S. had never let her down before. Ladybug knelt before the door and drew her lock pick equipment from a small compartment in her yo-yo.

"Okay, Lady Luck, let's make this happen," she muttered, placing two of the tools between her lips and inserting two others in the lock. Sure enough, the doorknob clicked and the door swung open as effortlessly as if she had brought a key. Suspicion flared again. _This is too easy._ Had N.S. set her up?

Ears pricked for any sound, she took two slow steps inside the door, sticking to the left doorjamb as she let her eyes adjust to the darkness. A full moon sent murky beams down through dusty skylights. Ladybug knew from her recon over the last several weeks that there was a back office opposite where she stood now. N.S. had instructed her to find the safe behind a big desk there. Inside was an old-fashioned ledger notebook listing every one of Hawkmoth's akuma sellers and clients. He went old school to keep his files from being hacked. The ledger was the only record of his activity. Ladybug held her breath, listening. No sound. Not even a drip of water. Finally sure she wasn't being tricked, she pushed out a sigh of relief. The sound seemed unnaturally loud in her own ears and she schooled her breathing into silence. Ladybug shouldered her small backpack and clicked on the flashlight in her yo-yo. The back office was twenty feet away.

With a spring in her step, she started across the warehouse, only to jump back suddenly when the whistle of metal slicing through the air hit her alert ears. Chat Noir's metal baton cracked down on the cement floor where she'd been standing, the sound reverberating through the open space.

"Ladybug! Fancy seeing you here," the black-clad figure leered at her from a rafter overhead, his baton gleaming dully in the moonlight as it retracted into his hand.

"Chat Noir," she grimaced, planting her feet and raising two fists in greeting.

"Aww, is that any way to greet your old pal?" Chat Noir completed a neat flip and landed between Ladybug and the office door. "I'm not _feline_ the love, Love."

"Don't call me that," Ladybug snapped. She launched a flying kick at his head, but Chat Noir easily sidestepped and whacked her shin playfully with his baton as she sailed past. "Oh!" she exclaimed as she landed, rubbing the offended leg then bouncing back up to face him again.

Chat Noir sighed mournfully. "You're getting slow, Bugaboo. Time was, I could never guess what you'd come up with next. You were _fur_ -ocious when we were together." Chat Noir's eyes glowed with green fire in the near darkness. Flustered, Ladybug could only guess at his implications as she gathered herself to launch another offensive. Anger pulsed along with the heartbeat in her ears. _How dare he?_ As though _she_ were the traitor.

"How's Daddy Dearest?" she taunted, but he stayed cool, sidestepping another jab. They circled each other, neither breaking their locked gazes.

"Those eyes..." Chat Noir purred. Ladybug felt unaccountably bare before him as his gaze swept over her whole body. "I remember how they looked when you -"

"Don't say it!" Ladybug shouted, taking a small step back. Then she turned and ran, straight for the office Chat Noir was supposed to be protecting. She heard a bark of laughter behind her. Despite herself, she let slip a small grin. She slid into the office like it was home base, slammed the door, twisted the deadbolt, and shoved the desk up against it. It had exterior windows, but she knew she'd have a minute or two before Chat could go around and bust them in.

Ladybug knelt before the safe, her yo-yo light shining on the bar napkin. _56-25-87-32-54._ What a crappy old safe. What had Hawkmoth been thinking? As she pulled the handle to open it, she heard a click. A blast slammed into and through the safe door and Ladybug hauled herself out of the way just in time. _Too close, Bug,_ she told herself. She reached in and felt around for a wide, black notebook, taking care to avoid the hot metal of a rigged pistol that still smoked. She drew it out and it slipped from her fingertips as Chat Noir's long arm dipped down in front of her face. Startled, she looked up. He saluted her with a cocky grin, leaping to a window. "Don't take it _purr_ -sonally, Milady. You win some, you lose some. 'Til next time!" He waved the ledger book at her and disappeared into the night, gone before Ladybug could reach the window to peer out after him.

"Drat that cat! When I get hold of him…" Ladybug let her feelings flare for an instant, then smolder low. She'd have her day.

Chat Noir nestled into a small crevice behind a chimney, certain he'd lost Ladybug. Oh, that girl. He chuckled to himself. He missed her, he surely did. He thumbed open the ledger he'd purloined from his Lady. His father would be very pleased with this save - except, where were the records? He paged through, back and forth, but the book was blank. Had his father set up a decoy? He turned to the first page. _Oh, merde._

The inscription read, _"Start keeping track of the ones I owe you, Chat. I'll pay you back, with interest."_


	4. Day 5: Right Hook and Day 6: Foggy

Day 5: Right-hook (illustration on tumblr)

Day 6: Foggy

" _Ohhhhhhh_. What happened?" Chat Noir sat up, holding the side of his aching head. It was mercifully dark, wherever he was. Wait, how could it be dark? The last thing he remembered was a sunny afternoon in the park, battling Dozer. He'd been sharing a really inspired pun with Ladybug and -

"Good, you're awake. I was afraid your kwami wouldn't hold out much longer!" said an amused voice from behind him. Chat Noir turned to see Ladybug sitting, legs crossed, in a small porch chair against a brick chimney. A white triangle of fabric was stretched above her, blocking his view of the sky.

"Where are we?" He took a moment to glance around, orienting himself. A wrought-iron fence enclosed the small space and its contents included a spool table, an old teapot, and several potted plants. "Hold on, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng's balcony, isn't it?"

" _Wh_ -uh, _ahem_ , I mean, how do you know that?" Ladybug coughed in her hand, then rolled forward to launch herself from the chair and came to rest on her knees beside him. She reached out without asking and put her gloved hands on his fluffy hair. He felt her fingers move over his skull, checking for injury.

"Ow!" he protested as she found a sore spot. "I know, because I know you know Marinette, remember? And I've met her before. Does she know we're out here?"

Her inspection completed, Ladybug's arms dropped to her lap. "Yeah, she said it's okay." He couldn't understand the amused smile that rippled across her lips as she spoke, but he was feeling pretty foggy.

"Okay, then. So what happened? I feel… like a squashed grape in a bucket." Chat Noir debated whether to lie back down, but decided to chance staying upright. He swiveled around to face Ladybug, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his chin on his knees. That… didn't hurt too terribly much.

Ladybug tapped her chin as she looked up over his head, thinking. "Well… you were very brave."

"I was?"

"Yes, you were. The akuma really didn't stand a chance."

"It didn't?"

"Your acrobatics with the baton fended off several attempts against civilians. You're the reason they stayed safe."

"They were?"

"Yup. And then you set up the perfect distraction so I could de-evilize the akuma."

"I did? So that was it, huh?"

"Well, except for you getting hit so hard you were knocked out."

"Was that… before or after you cleansed the akuma?"

"...After." Ladybug's mouth clicked shut, her eyes shifting to the edge of the balcony away from his glowing green gaze. Chat Noir watched her suspiciously, but he didn't ask any more questions.

Ladybug scooched closer to him and they both stared out across the midnight rooftops of Paris, the silence between them comfortable, the air between them warm. She'd never let him know the truth.


	5. Day 7: Purring

Day 7: Purring

A companion piece to Day 6: Foggy

When a grumpy teen going by the moniker Dozer lashed out, Chat Noir jumped in to take the first hit.

"Chat!" Ladybug cried as he sank down like a sack of bricks into a river. She caught him as he fell, lowering him gently to the ground and quickly checking his pulse. A light snore reassured her that Dozer, true to his name, was simply putting people to sleep. She left Chat to his pleasant dreams, dodging another pillow-fight blast. The sleepy-eyed akuma victim scrubbed at his bed-head, snarling at her as she dashed away.

"I just want five more minutes!" he yelled petulantly, yanking a fluffy missile of dreams from his pillowcase and launching it in her direction. She tucked and rolled, the energized pillow smashing harmlessly into a tree. Ladybug glanced around and gratefully noted that most of the bystanders had exited the park already. Time to cut loose.

"Lucky charm!" she called, spinning her yo-yo up into the air. A red-and-black spotted pair of spectacles dropped into her palm. What in the world would she do with this?

Looking around the park, she noticed the sun glinting on a turtle pond close by. Her head popped up, appreciating the beautiful sun and all its power. Now to focus on the problem. Ladybug gathered her feet under her and performed a Chat Noir-worthy leap to the top of a street light. Dozer tracked her movement slowly, still sleepy despite his rage. She giggled as she tilted the glasses down at the pajama-clad complainer, angling them carefully. Too late, he tried to shield his eyes from the blinding light of the sun that shot through the lenses into his face.

"Aaaugh! I just want to go back to bed!" he screamed as she whipped her yo-yo out and relieved him of his pillowcase. Balancing on the streetlight, she ripped the seams of the linen case and released a purple butterfly from within.

"Time to de-evilize!" she shouted triumphantly. Already gathered, a small crowd cheered below. She captured the dangerous bug with her yo-yo, then released its pure white form into the air. "Bye bye, little butterfly," she waved. Ladybug tossed the spectacles carelessly upward, shouting "Lucky charm!" as she did so. She hopped down from the street light to go and check on her partner as Dozer's family came running up to take the young man home.

Chat Noir was still snoring on the grass where she'd left him. She patted his cheeks gently, but nothing happened. Well, crap. His kwami was good to go, since he hadn't used his Cataclysm, but she couldn't leave him on the grass to snooze the afternoon away. She made a quick decision, hauling him up and throwing him over her shoulder in a fireman's carry. Chat Noir's head lolled and his arms stayed loose; he was completely out. Shaking her pigtails, Ladybug sent out her yo-yo and took them aloft. She went the only place she could think of: home.

Ladybug made the final leap to her balcony moments before her Miraculous gave out. "Ooof!" she exclaimed as Chat's true weight suddenly made itself felt on her shoulder. Marinette couldn't carry him! He dropped head-first onto the cement with a thunk and she winced. That one was probably going to hurt. Curiously, he remained unconscious, even with his face pushed into the roof, his arms akimbo, and his - _ahem_ \- tail in the air.

Marinette shaded her eyes with one hand and shook her head, embarrassed for her partner. With considerable effort, she rolled him over, then tugged his head under her sunshade to keep him from burning in the bright afternoon light. She'd have to leave him here. She had no idea where else to take him until he woke. "Tikki, what should I do?" she asked her tiny kwami, who had already raided the tupperware of cookies Marinette kept in her craft supplies.

"Get an excuse ready," Tikki replied, mouth full. "I'll charge up as fast as I can, and then you can be Ladybug every time you check on him. You should probably move him to another roof top - one that's not your actual home."

"I know, you're probably right. But if Maman and Papa want help today, I can't keep ducking out to check on him! It's better to leave him here, don't you think?" Marinette knelt next to her lithe partner, concern outlined on her features. She reached a hand out to feel for a bump on his skull, parting the fluffy hair with two fingers. A low sound reached her ears and she pulled back suddenly in fear that he was waking. But his eyes stayed closed and the low rumble was one she'd recognize anywhere. He was… purring?

Marinette put her hand back on Chat Noir's head, rubbing gently against the black ears and carding her fingers through his soft hair. The noise grew, along with her amazement. What strange magic! Why on earth would he ever need to purr? But there it was, warm and loud and unmistakable. Marinette wondered if Chat knew he could purr. She wondered if he'd do it when he was awake. Maybe she could find out.


	6. Day 8: Ride-or-Die

Day 8: Ride-or-Die

"Manon!" Both Marinette and Manon looked up at Mrs. Chamack's sharp tone. She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, half an hour early.

"Hi, Mrs. Chamack. Everything alright?" Marinette kept her tone light in front of her charge, but she could see at a glance something was wrong. Mrs. Chamack's normally confident demeanor had wilted and she fidgeted impatiently in the doorway of the Dupain-Cheng's living area. She seemed almost afraid to come in.

"Let's go, Manon. Now." Distant sirens wailed and Marinette's ears perked at the sound. A new akuma? Mrs. Chamack's eyes rolled wildly and she clutched her hair. "I said NOW!" she shouted.

Marinette jumped up at her tone and grabbed Manon's hand. "Okay, yeah, let's get you packed up, Manon." The little girl stared at her mother in surprise and confusion. Mrs. Chamack shook her head and held out one hand for Manon's.

"There's no time. Come here, Baby," she instructed. She gathered Manon gently but quickly into her arms, then disappeared with a pop. Marinette's jaw dropped.

"What. Just. _Happened?_ "

"No time!" Tikki replied, emerging from Marinette's purse on the kitchen counter. "It must be an akuma. We need to go!"

"Right, Tikki. Spots on!"

Magically transformed, Ladybug leapt out of her skylight and followed the sound of the sirens. They came to a stop outside of the city courthouse. Ladybug squinted at the building. Its strong stone columns seemed to waver, almost as though massive heat were rising up in front of it, but there was no fire that she could see. A breath of air exhaled next to her and a shadow loomed.

"What do you make of it, Chat?" she asked without turning.

"Hello and good day to you, too, Bugaboo," he answered. She rolled her eyes.

"No time for chit-chat, Kitty. We need to get to the bottom of this."

"Ladybug! Hey, Laaaaaadybug!" Their attention was diverted downward toward a girl with curly auburn hair, waving wildly with her smartphone in one hand. She motioned for them to come down to her, indicating the phone. The pair shrugged, then jumped off the roof they'd been using to observe and met her moments later on the street. "Oh, wow, so _that_ worked," Alya murmured, taking in a big breath as the two gave her their attention.

"What's up, Ladyblogger?" Chat Noir asked with a wink. Alya quirked one eyebrow at him, then turned to Ladybug.

"Here, look at this. The newslady? Nadia Chamack? She was covering a story, then she totally melted into tears. It was heartbreaking to watch." The video on the screen showed Mrs. Chamack, overcome with emotion, dropping her microphone and running offscreen. The cameraman refocused to capture her again, revealing a bright flash of purple over her face.

"She's been akumatized!" Ladybug gasped. "And she has her child with her!"

"Whoa, that's not good." Chat Noir commented, pointing. Nadia Chamack, with Manon in tow, floated out of the doors of the courthouse. A curious purple line stretched behind her and three lassoed men in prison jumpsuits floated out, looking panicked. With black tear tracks staining her cheeks, Mrs. Chamack pointed a darkly-tipped finger at the air. A small, shadowed spot appeared, whirling and growing as mere seconds passed. It looked like a miniature black hole and the light bent around it, causing their view of the courthouse to shift and melt toward the tiny vortex.

"What's the plan, Ladybug?" Alya's question caught Ladybug off guard and she glanced down at the tiny lens of the phone's camera.

"I...I don't know what to do," she responded honestly. "I'm going to try to talk to her." She stepped forward, Chat Noir one pace behind her and to the right. A light breeze seemed to draw them toward the courthouse as the swirling darkness grew larger. When they were about 20 feet away, Ladybug cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Mrs. Chamack! Nadia Chamack!" The woman turned to her. Black lines streaked all the way down to her chin and as she cried, they seemed to stretch farther until they threatened to envelope her shoulders, arms, and torso. Manon was crying, too, simultaneously afraid of and for her mother. Ladybug knew the little girl didn't remember being akumatized.

"Nadia Chamack is gone. I'm Dreamweaver now." The woman's tone held no anger, but it shook with fear and sadness. "You can't help me, Ladybug. You can't help anyone. I'm going to do what you won't." With that, she swiped her arm from the men to the vortex in silent command. The three men screamed as they were pushed through, but the sound cut off the moment they disappeared. Manon screamed then, and her mother looked down at her, startled. "Don't worry, Baby. I won't let you get hurt."

"What did you do?" breathed Ladybug, horrified.

"The bad...the bad men. I put them in a dark place. They can't hurt my baby anymore."

"They hurt _Manon_?"

"No, not these ones. But they could. They all could. They need to go into the dark place." With another _pop_ Dreamweaver and Manon were gone.

" _Purr_ -fect," Chat Noir sighed. "Any ideas where they might have gone?"

"No, none," Ladybug shook her head ruefully. The swirling black didn't appear to be growing further, but it wasn't shrinking either. Several police began to approach with barricades to cordon it off.

"Well, then, let's try a higher vantage point. Promise I won't get myself stuck in a tree." Grabbing her around the waist, Chat Noir telescoped his baton and they rose high into the air, perfectly balanced on the top of the pole. They glanced this way and that over the city, taking in the smallest details they could make out. "Now, that looks _furr_ -miliar," Chat Noir's breath tickled her ear pleasantly as he pointed out the TV station. The same wavy lines rose from its top.

"Let's hit it," agreed Ladybug and held on tight as Chat Noir tilted them forward in a well-practiced move. They covered the ground quickly and came to the top of the TV station, where they beheld Dreamweaver creating another vortex.

"Dreamweaver!" Ladybug shouted. Manon started and turned fearful eyes to her. Ladybug's heart twisted. Mrs. Chamack would never forgive herself for this day, even if she wouldn't remember it. "You can't send anyone else to the dark place! I won't let you!"

Dreamweaver turned to them. Her tears, still flowing, had begun to trail about her head like a sparkling crown of salt water. Her strange ability left echoes in its wake and Ladybug had to fight to keep her own feet on the ground. "I'm not. I'm sending myself and Manon to the… the best place. There's candy and games there, Manon. And the sky is full of rainbows. You'll love it." The reassurance did little for Manon, who clutched at her mother regardless.

"Mommy, I don't want to go," she whined.

"It's too late," her mother replied, dropping off the edge of the station into a horizontal black pit that slowly revolved in the air. Manon's scream was cut off as they crossed the threshold.

"No… _no_!" screamed Ladybug. "We're going after them!" Without even a glance at her partner, she hopped off the edge, toes pointed and arms pulled in like a kid at the pool.

Chat Noir looked at the swirling vortex hanging silently in the air. "Ride-or-die," he shrugged, brandishing his baton and diving headfirst into the dark.

* * *

 **Hey there! So I'm participating in the Miraculous Blackout until July 15th. I'll update with Day 9 and others on July 16th!**


	7. Day 9: Petty Arguments

Day 9: Petty Arguments

Chat Noir's ears twitched at the sound of footsteps behind him. "Hey! What have you got there?" asked Ladybug as she plopped down next to him, legs dangling off of a beam of the Eiffel Tower.

"Mmmm. New bakery opened up. You won't believe how good these are. Macaron?" Chat Noir held one out to her and Ladybug plucked it from his fingers with a scoff.

"No way it can be better than Tom & Sabine's," she asserted, tossing her pigtails and nibbling the edge of the macaron. _Hmmm_. It was pretty good, in her nearly-professional opinion. Her papa's macarons would always be the best, though.

"I don't know, Bug. Not _kitten_ you, I'm seriously impressed with the place. They have all this space, and the pastries are laid out in really creative arrangements. Their line-up is double the variety I've seen anywhere else. Tom & Sabine's is more like the friendly local place. _La Maison_ is out to impress."

Ladybug sniffed derisively. "Well, this macaron is pretty good, but if it's the best they've got to offer…"

"Here, check it," Chat Noir reached into the tall paper sack beside him and relieved it of a fresh baguette, "the bread is _paws_ -itively spectacular." Ladybug took the bite he broke off for her in one gloved hand, feeling piqued. Tom & Sabine's was the best. She always brought him treats from there; it was kind of their thing. Could this new place really be any good? She chewed the piece of baguette and frowned. It was excellent, both in texture and taste.

"You don't like it?" Chat Noir asked cautiously, seeing the glum expression on her face.

"No, no, you're right. It's really good." Ladybug set down the uneaten half-bite she had left on the beam. She wiggled it against the steel, watching crumbs break off and blow away in the breeze. "I still think Tom & Sabine have this baguette beat."

"Maybe you're right. But you should try this, too." He reached into the sack for a new item. Ladybug felt heat rise behind her eyes.

"God, Chat, did you buy the whole store?" Chat Noir's hand stilled at Ladybug's outburst.

"No, I just grabbed what I liked. Do you want something else or not?"

"No! I don't want to try anything else from your new favorite bakery. If it's not as good as Tom & Sabine's, then I don't want to waste my time."

"I didn't say it was my new favorite bakery. I said I was impressed, that's all. Since when are you so dedicated to one little local bakehouse, anyway? We eat stuff from other places all the time."

"Well, I'm not hungry anymore," Ladybug crossed her arms defiantly. "You can take that bag of pastries and-"

"Whoa! Ladybug! Dial it back a little." Chat Noir glared at her, his glowing green eyes narrowing with irritation. Crush or no crush, he wasn't going to let her lash out at him over a sack of baked goods.

"I was _going_ to say 'pitch it off the Tower for all I care', before I was interrupted," Ladybug rejoined. Two pink spots grew on her cheeks below her mask. She pulled her knees up to her chest, gathering her feet against the backs of her thighs. "Maybe we should get out on patrol."

"Not before I'm done with my food. I didn't get any dinner," Chat Noir snapped. Ladybug leaned away from him, fixing him with an irritated look of her own.

"No need to get rude."

"I could say the same to you."

"It's the sub-par pastries that are doing this to you."

"No, you're the one doing this to me. Let me eat my awesome pastries in peace."

"If you'd gotten them from Tom & Sabine's like we always do, maybe I could."

"Well, maybe I was tired of the same old thing. Maybe I didn't want to run into that girl we know, Marinette, because she talks a lot and I had to get out here to meet you because yesterday you told me off for being late. Or maybe _La Maison_ just has the best bread in town. Or maybe-" Chat Noir broke off and squinted at his partner, who had hunched over her legs and turned her face away from him. "Are you crying?"

Ladybug brushed at her mask and tried to suck in a breath that didn't shake. "No, of course not." She didn't feel ready to turn back to him yet, instead making her face into an angry mask and trusting that the angle would hide her fake expression. She should have known better. She saw Chat Noir deflate out of the corner of her eye.

"You _are_ crying. Crap. I'm sorry, Bug."


	8. Day 12: Communication

Day 10: New look/costume alteration and Day 11: Sultry are illustrations on my Tumblr blog (or they will be when I get them done!)

Day 12: Communication

An unearthly scream blew Ladybug and Chat Noir through the air, knocking them about like ragdolls as they were funneled into a nearby alley. Ladybug was the first to stand, having covered her head with her arms as they were buffeted against the brick walls of the surrounding buildings, Chat Noir following seconds later.

"We need to find cover. Fast." Ladybug sucked in gulps of air, trying to catch her breath. They glanced around the alley, littered with paper and leaves caught in small whirling eddies. Chat Noir shrugged.

"The smell is pretty _claw_ -ful, but I guess any port in a storm…" He held up the lid of a dumpster, extending his other claw in invitation. Frowning and covering her nose, Ladybug took it and hopped in as gracefully as she could. Chat Noir leapt in behind her and the lid slammed shut, leaving them in near-darkness with only a thin seam of sunshine painting the interior. They crouched at opposite sides of the metal bin, finding footing upon the smelly refuse. Chat Noir tapped his chin. "We need a plan in a hurry. Tantrum can do a lot of damage to Paris in a short amount of time."

"Did you see the lollipop?" Ladybug crossed her arms over her knees, doing her best not to actually _sit_ on the trash underneath her.

"Yeah. You think the akuma is in there?"

"Definitely. She's just a kid; Hawkmoth is really sinking to new lows these days."

"We've seen that before, though."

"I know, and I don't know why I think a villain like Hawkmoth would have some kind of… ethics about akumatizing children, but it's just so _wrong_." Ladybug tapped her elbows against her knees for emphasis.

Chat Noir regarded her thoughtfully. "So, Tantrum's got our number on raw power. She's shaking the buildings apart with all the stomping, and blowing us back with the yelling. How do we get close enough to take the candy?"

Ladybug stared down at the pile of trash they crouched on as she thought hard. They could both feel the rhythmic shaking of the ground outside and hear distant screeches as Tantrum raged in a park across the street.

"I think it's time for a little help," she replied, unclipping her yo-yo.

"Calling the Lucky Charm? In here? Let's hope it's not a sofa." Chat Noir pressed his back against the dirty, hot metal to give her more room.

"I'm willing to chance it," Ladybug winked. She sent the yo-yo up with only a foot of the line extended. It whirled before their faces as she called out, "Lucky Charm!" With a flash of pink light, three red balls with black spots dropped out of the air. Ladybug held out her hands and caught them, puzzled. "What could these be for?"

Chat Noir chuckled and held out open palms. "For once, I think the Lucky Charm is meant for me, Milady." Mystified, she dropped them into his claws and he palmed all three in one hand. He used his other hand to throw back the dumpster lid as he stood. A fresh breeze carried the stink of trash out of their noses and they both sighed in relief. "Stay out of sight and wait for my signal," he directed, casually throwing his legs over the edge and running for the park.

Exasperated, she opened her mouth to speak, but he was already out of earshot. She crept to the mouth of the alleyway and peered cautiously around the edge.

Chat Noir was walking slowly and calmly up to the akumatized girl, open, with no cover in sight. She wandered aimlessly around the park screaming, a big purple lollipop in one hand. Bushes and trees were ripped out at the roots in front of her as she cried. It looked as though an invisible bulldozer was causing the destruction. What was he doing? He'd be pulverized when she saw him! Chat Noir turned as he changed direction to follow her and Ladybug finally had a clear view of him… juggling?

She snuck forward and hid behind an advertisement pole, leaning around the edge to watch as Chat Noir closed the gap between himself and Tantrum. The little girl turned and Ladybug winced, but miraculously, the screaming stopped. Ladybug opened her eyes and watched as the girl regarded Chat Noir with fascination. His mouth moved and he tilted his head to one side, evidently indicating a single park bench that hadn't been ripped free of its bolts and overturned. Tantrum took dainty (non-stomping) steps and seated herself, still watching Chat Noir. He changed his antics, switching the juggling style, sending one up while still exchanging the other two, adding a dance step or a turn, all the while keeping them moving.

Ladybug shook her head, snapping back to reality when she caught herself enjoying the show. What was the signal? Tantrum had her back to the street, so Ladybug took the opportunity to creep across, then dashed behind a broad tree with one limb cracked and fallen to the ground.

Chat Noir kept his partner in his peripheral vision as her head popped out from behind the damaged tree. Tantrum stared directly at him and he didn't dare look away. Instead, he took a deep breath and tried the one juggling trick he'd never quite mastered: juggling three balls in one hand. He sent up the first, then second, then third ball, catching and releasing one at a time as steadily and quickly as he could. Oh man, he had this. He curled his left hand into an obvious thumbs up and noticed Ladybug's face disappear from view.

Tantrum sat openmouthed, oblivious to anything except the personal circus show Chat Noir provided in the park. Ladybug tip-toed to the back of the bench, not even daring to breath, and crouched down behind the girl. Stretching her fingertips through the slats, she broke off a tiny piece of the oversized lollipop with a _plink!_

A purple butterfly flitted free at the same moment Chat Noir's concentration gave out. The three balls rained down on his head and he dramatically fell full length on the ground in front of Tantrum, who giggled.

"Oh, thank goodness," he gasped.

"Not bad, Kitty," Ladybug allowed as she ran off to chase down the butterfly.


	9. Day 13: (Spiderman) Kiss

Day 13: (Spiderman) kiss

"Darn it, Chat, get out of there!" Ladybug grumped at her partner in the small residential street she stood in, frowning up at him. Chat Noir was suspended ten feet off the ground at a near-horizontal angle, stuck in a broad, looping net of yo-yo line stretched between a tree and a streetlight. She tugged at it, but that only served to pull the tangled mess tighter, further entrapping her partner.

"LB… I can't - my baton is stuck, and my arm-" Chat Noir struggled and twisted, but he had managed to get one arm threaded through the snarl and couldn't pull it free. Ladybug squinted up at him. The streetlight silhouetted his awkward figure against the mixed-up lines and she could barely see him in the deep, late-night shadows of the city street. They were supposed to be practicing with their weapons, but somehow it had all gone horribly wrong. Her tangled net of yo-yo line canted to one side, like a poorly fashioned hammock. It shook comically as Chat Noir rustled within, kicking his feet and pulling this way and that.

"This is ridiculous," she sighed, taking hold of one edge of the knotted confusion. She pulled herself up and climbed forward, fingers gripping tightly as she came alongside to where Chat Noir lay trapped on his back at the center of the jam. His ears lay flat against his head, his expression thoroughly annoyed as he watched her. "You absolutely look just like a cat right now," she giggled. If anything, the ears went flatter. For once, Chat Noir didn't say a word. Ladybug felt her smile go wider in the dark; she couldn't help it. This was all his own fault, after all. "Next time-"

"What, zig instead of zag? Look before I leap? I got it, Ladybug." Chat Noir's aggrieved tone surprised her.

"Hey, it's not a big deal. I bet I can get you loose." She yanked on his left bicep just above the crease of his elbow, but his arm didn't budge. She released the smooth fabric, perplexed.

"Claws are caught in your unbreakable line," he informed her. "Can't get any leverage because the baton's pinned. Made it worse kicking my feet." He nodded to indicate his steel-toed boots, which had tunneled into the mess and were now trapped at the ankles. "I hate to say it, but I might have to de-transform to get out of this one."

"You're like a fly at the center of a web!" Ladybug tried her best to suppress her giggles. Chat wasn't in the mood. She could see the confinement hurt his pride a little; usually his claws and Cataclysm would be enough to get him out of any situation.

"Just so long as you're not a black widow," he quipped, his grin resurfacing for a moment.

Ladybug pointed at his feet. "Maybe I should start there." She rose to her knees, intent on crawling down the web, but the unsteady surface betrayed her. She fell forward, across Chat Noir's chest with an _oof,_ setting the entire mesh into a lazy rocking motion.

"Sorry!" Ladybug struggled to right herself, pushing her hands against his firm chest. She glanced up into Chat Noir's green-yellow eyes and her motion stilled. She hadn't been up close to her partner like this, outside of battle, in a while. His cat's eyes were positively glowing as he looked at her. The streetlight chose that moment to fizzle out with an audible pop, leaving them in the near dark together.

"Do you need a hand up? I've only got the one," he asked, his voice dropping to a low rumble she could feel through her gloved palms. Ladybug was suddenly aware of her torso pressed up against his side, her leg accidentally draped over his. Her eyes darted to the lower half of his face as he licked his lips. Soft-looking lips that were mere inches away.

"I um, I…" Ladybug's brain went a little fuzzy as her pulse sped up. "Chaton…?"

"Yes, Milady?" Ladybug gave a tiny shiver as Chat Noir's breath ghosted past her cheek.

"If I asked, would...would you kiss me?" His luminescent eyes narrowed and she let go of the breath she'd been holding. "Sorry, that was stupid-" she struggled to rise, but he placed his free hand on her shoulder.

"Are you asking?"

"What?"

"Are you asking me to kiss you?"

Ladybug looked for the humor she knew had to be there, but Chat Noir wasn't smiling. In fact he almost seemed angry, his angular jaw set tightly, his claw clutching her shoulder a little too hard. But he'd asked.

"...Yes?"

"Okay, then." He licked his lips again and she tilted her face up to his, uncertain. Their lips met in a soft brush that left electric prickles on her skin. He seemed to draw back for a moment, but Ladybug pressed closer with a sigh and took his lower lip between her own. She felt his whole body soften as he leaned into the kiss.

With a sudden intake of breath, Chat Noir stretched his free arm across her back and pulled her in close. His claws came gently up to her neck where the skin was bare, and she shivered with the sensation as he lightly traced her ear and jaw. She kissed him full on the mouth, reaching up with her right hand to push her fingers into his soft hair and curving her left arm tightly around his waist. He rumbled deep in his throat, a low groan that was almost a purr. She felt his tongue press against her lips, tentative. She pressed back with her own, feeling her face heat and her breathing speed up.

They came apart for a moment, both panting and needing air.

"I think maybe… should we stop?" she whispered.

"Why? I mean did you not - it's _okay_ if not-"

"No! I did, I did. Um, I just - you're still stuck."

"Oh. Right." The crease in his brow smoothed and a grin that rivaled his eyes for light emerged. Ladybug felt a blush creep up her face at the sight and ducked her head, embarrassed. She could feel the thump of Chat Noir's heartbeat as she laid her head on his chest.

"I _did_ like it," she reiterated quietly.


	10. Day 16: Runaway Part 1

Day 16: Confidant (Runaway: Part I)

"...so I have to. You see that, right? I'm out of options." Ladybug sighed heavily as Chat Noir shook his head slowly, trying to gather his thoughts. They both shivered as the breeze brought a fresh gust of night air to tickle invisible fingers through the hair at the napes of their necks. Paris was quiet down below, a sleeping city on the verge of dreams.

"Where will you go? I mean, do you have a place to stay? You can't live on the streets." An image of Ladybug, her face a blur, hovered in Chat's mind. Her hand held out for spare change, dirty civvies clutched close around her body. "You're really going to run away from home? How old are you anyway?"

Ladybug turned to him, exasperated. He returned her gaze coolly, cocking one eyebrow. Secret identities were all well and good when you knew your partner was taken care of in their civilian life. Ladybug's decision to run away changed all that. She stared at him a moment more, then dropped her eyes to the rooftop tiles between them.

"I'm 16. Two more years and I'm legal anyway. I can make it."

"I'm sure you can. That's neither the question nor the point. And you know 100 percent that your parents are moving?"

Ladybug nodded ruefully. "It's a once in a lifetime chance to expand their business into China. They have to take it. They _are_ taking it. But Paris needs me here."

Chat Noir pushed out the breath he'd been holding and laid back against the roof with his hands tucked behind his head. After a moment, Ladybug joined him and they looked at the few brave stars poking through the thick fabric of Paris' urban night sky. Chat turned his head just enough to watch Ladybug's profile out of the corner of his eye.

"I hate to ask, but have you or your kwami considered passing on your Miraculous? Maybe just for two years until you can come back?" Chat winced as Ladybug's head whipped toward him, fire sparking in her blue bell eyes.

" _I'm_ the chosen! It...it's meant to be, and that's all there is to it! Would _you_ do it?" she countered, her jaw set in a hard line.

Chat Noir shook his head. "No, I'd run away from home before I gave up my Miraculous, too. You have to look at all the angles before you make a decision like this, though."

"I know that. I know," she sighed. "We talked about it. Tikki doesn't want us to part, but she doesn't want me to be separated from my parents, either. I...may have made it sound a little less terrible than I expect it to be. Finding a place, getting a job, paying bills, and finishing school all at the same time. Oh, and avoiding police and anyone I know who might report me to my parents OR the police." Now it was Ladybug's turn to wince. "Am I just being selfish?"

" _Purr_ -fectly rational, in my opinion," he grinned, "Of course, I'm biased. Being Chat Noir is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Same. Being Ladybug, that is. Oh, Chat, what am I going to do?" her voice cracked on the last word and Chat Noir was surprised to see Ladybug nearly in tears.

He grabbed her hand tightly, pulling her arm toward him. "Hey. Hey, it's going to be okay." Chat Noir had no idea if it was the truth, but she needed to hear it. "We'll come up with something."


	11. Day 19: Runaway Part 2

Day 19: Eiffel Tower

Runaway: Part 2

Chat Noir had watched his partner during the week since her revelation. With every akuma, they'd gotten the job done, but she had none of her usual smiles or clever comments. Her confidence had evaporated with the summer heat, leaving her shoulders slumped and her step slow. Every time they spoke of her predicament, Ladybug was adamant that she had to run away. Dragging it out over the summer was torture for her, though. He couldn't relate; he didn't have the same kind of relationship with his father. Chat Noir knew Gabriel cared, but he couldn't imagine feeling this upset if the decision had been his to make.

As they patrolled one evening, he brought the subject of her departure up cautiously. "Ladybug?" he asked, as soon as they'd stopped to take a breather at the edge of a drainpipe running along a townhouse roof. Their legs dangled over the edge as they seated themselves.

"What's up, Chaton?" Ladybug's voice was carefully neutral as her eyes scanned the street below them for trouble.

"You know how you've been worried about where you'll live? I have an idea, okay? I'm going to take you somewhere. Don't laugh when we get there, please."

"I don't feel like laughing right now, Chat."

Chat Noir pulled Ladybug up to standing. "Follow me." The trip was a long one in the dark. Chat Noir could feel Ladybug's curiousity growing as they moved away from the populated areas of Paris and entered a warehouse district. He vaulted to the top of a spacious warehouse with a corrugated metal roof, Ladybug dropping in a beat behind him.

"Where are we?" she asked. He grinned in the dark when he heard some of her old attitude resurface with the question.

"Come in over here," he replied, lowering himself neatly over the side of the building and into an open window. She followed and they found themselves in a small upstairs portion of the warehouse. It was about the size of a large bedroom, closed off by walls on all four sides, with the one exterior window and a door along an adjacent wall that lead into the rest of the building. Chat Noir crossed confidently to the door and flicked a light switch at the wall. A single bulb popped on, dangling bare from a wire in the ceiling. Ladybug's blue bell eyes widened as she turned and took in the small room. "I call it…" he paused, catching her eyes in the low light, "the Cattery."

Ladybug groaned and brought a gloved hand to her brow. "Of course you do. Is this… this isn't where you live, is it?" Her gaze took in the full size mattress on the floor, the rickety table and chairs set in one corner.

"What? No! No, it's more like um, a clubhouse? I guess?" Chat Noir fidgeted. He'd been hoping for a slightly better reaction. "I come here if I want to be by myself sometimes."

"Oh. I had no idea you did things like this."

"This is pretty much it. I wasn't trying to hide anything, it's just… it's something for me, you know?"

"Yeah. It's fine, Chat. You want me to live here? And you'd be okay with me taking up your space? Where will you go?"

"Well, I was hoping you'd let me visit sometimes." He caught her gaze briefly, but dropped his eyes to the floor. "I'll fix it up a little. And there's a bathroom with running water downstairs. No shower, sorry. And obviously there's electricity…"

"Wait a minute. Is someone using this warehouse?"

"No," Chat Noir raised his hands quickly to reassure her, "no, it's abandoned. I know who owns it; he doesn't check in or keep security here. Other than the building, there's nothing of value. I um, guess he forgot to turn off the water and power. And I use them so rarely, it's not like anyone would notice." Ladybug fixed him with a suspicious look, but he stared innocently back. No way was he fessing up that Gabriel owned the building. And it was true that the power and water had been forgotten. His dad had a whole block of warehouses on the same accounts; a little extra utility usage was completely unnoticeable.

Ladybug stood in the center of the room and did another turn. She walked to the window and caught a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower's illuminated outline in the distance. "Chat…" he eyed her dubiously until the first smile in seven days broke across her face. "It's perfect. Thank you."


	12. Day 20: Runaway Part 3

Day 20: Stay (a little longer)

Runaway: Part 3

Chat Noir roamed aimlessly through the small upstairs room of the warehouse, looking at the sparse collection of items Ladybug had set down on the windowsill and against the walls. Since she'd said she wasn't planning to move in until her parents left, he didn't feel as though he was truly invading her space. A lot of the stuff in the room was still his, in fact. She was going to keep the mattress, table, and chairs. He looked up at the addition of a shade over the single bare bulb at the center of the room and smiled. She'd chosen a white lacy pendant that cast an ornamental shadow on the ceiling. Various pillows, a bean bag chair, and a portable folding drawing desk filled out the space and made it seem more livable.

A thump caused him to whirl suddenly, hand coming to rest on the baton at his back. Ladybug stood at the large, open window, hunched over with the sun's evening rays spilling in behind her. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she ran wordlessly to him. Chat Noir opened his arms wide, surprised. She collapsed against him and sob after sob tore free from her heaving chest. Only then did Chat notice the duffel bag she'd dropped by the window. He clutched her tightly to him, his heart aching for her.

"Ladybug! I thought you weren't leaving for months yet! Did your parents…" he looked down at the girl in his arms, concerned. She gulped back her sobs, shook her head and turned red-rimmed eyes up to look at him. Poor kid, she was an ugly crier.

"N-no, they're still in Paris. I realized last night that if I leave right before they do, they'll call it all off to search for me. It w-would ruin their lives, Chat! Their business is everything they've ever worked toward. We've already shipped most of our stuff overseas. So I just packed a bag and left. I told them all about it in my note. They have a couple of months to get used to it and… and when they don't find me, they'll move on."

"Ladybug…" he wanted to say more, but it wasn't the right time. They hadn't figured out food...or how she would continue school in the fall...or any of the little details. He'd thought there would be months to make the plans. He sighed and gathered her slight form against him. She trembled in his arms, her face pressed down into his chest. He tucked her hair under his chin and waited as she slowly calmed. The moment she tensed up, he released her. He immediately missed the warm sensation of her body pressed against his. Ladybug took a deep breath and released it in a gusty sigh.

"So this is it. I'm gone. I can't go back." She glanced out the window at the darkening sky, then tilted her head, puzzled. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Embarrassed, Chat Noir rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Um, I guess you could say I was saying goodbye? To the Cattery? Maybe you should officially rename it or something." A small smile snuck its way onto her lips.

"I've never looked up the term for a ladybug's home. Now I probably can't."

"Oh, there's wifi. It's someone else's, but you can find it out here." Ladybug didn't seem interested. She went back to the window and picked up her bag. She set it on the table and unzipped it.

"Have you eaten?" A tupperware of baked goods emerged from the folds of the bag.

"Are those croissants? From home?"

"Ye- uh, no, I picked them up at the Tom & Sabine bakery on my way over. Here." She pulled open the lid and handed him one, then sat and took one for herself. "Sorry I got so upset. I'm probably just hungry."

"Yeah, probably." Chat Noir leaned against the table, crossing his ankles.

"Ugh, what am I going to do, Chat? All I have is what's in this room, fifty euros, and croissants and water."  
"Stop thinking about it. We'll figure things out tomorrow." He projected as much reassurance as he could into his tone. Ladybug relaxed slightly, drawing her elbows up onto the table as they munched.

"You're right. I'll make this work. Tomorrow." Her voice softened as she looked up into his face. "Chaton?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have to go, or can you stay for a while? I'm… I feel really lonely right now. I...oh, what have I done?" His heart broke at her stricken tone.

"I can stay as long as you like."


	13. Day 18: Runaway Part 4

Day 18: Midnight hour

Runaway: Part 4

"Come in, Chaton," Ladybug said when she heard his knock against her open window. She checked her phone. It was 12:19 a.m. "Pretty late to be out and about. I was just about to turn in." She looked up to see Chat staring at her, lips parted slightly as he sat halfway inside the windowsill.

"What," he took a moment to clear his throat, " _uhm_ , what happened to your costume?"

Ladybug looked down at the simple nightgown she wore. The light fabric, in her traditional red-and-spots, fell to her knees. She fingered one of the shoulder straps self-consciously. "Tikki invented it. I've been really worried about getting caught up here; that's why I only have the lamp on," she gestured carelessly toward the small light next to her bed, hoping to distract Chat Noir from her bare arms and calves. "So this way I can still be Ladybug, but in something more cool for the summer. It gets kind of warm at night, you know?" Chat Noir forced his eyes back up to her face. "So, um, what brings you here?"

"I couldn't sleep," he confessed. "There's been a lot going on in my civilian life. I know we can't really talk about it, but I was hoping you wouldn't mind some company."

"No, of cooaa-" she drew the back of one hand up to her mouth as she yawned, "course not."

"It's okay, I'll go. You're tired." "No, please! I haven't talked to anyone all day. I kept checking my phone for an akuma, just to get out of here, but nothing happened in Paris today." Ladybug blushed. She sounded pathetic, she knew it. She should go out with a hat or a scarf on or something, but she wasn't ready yet. "I _am_ tired, though. Do you mind if I settle in?"

Chat shook his head. Ladybug was surprised when he followed her to the bed, but he simply sat cross-legged next to the wooden box she'd set up as a nightstand, his curved claws in his lap. She pulled back the old quilt she'd packed from home and laid on her side to face him, scrunching down between the sheets with her arm outside the covers. "Whaa…" another yawn overtook her, "What do you want to talk about?" Ladybug blinked sleepy eyes up at her partner, who wore a gentle smile as he gazed down at her. "What?"

"You're very _purr_ -ty, Milady," he complimented. She rolled her eyes and stifled a mutinous giggle.

"I haven't washed my hair in two days."

"You're right, that's pretty gross."

"Two days isn't that gross!" His smile grew broader and she stuck her tongue out at him. It felt natural, like he was more friend than partner. He _was_ her friend, she suddenly realized. Her only friend now. On impulse, she reached out with her hand and took one of his. "Chaton, thank you."

His brow creased under his mask. "For what?"

"You know, for all this. For everything. You've been the best friend anyone could ask for." Ladybug was taken aback when he yawned in the middle of her sentence.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I guess I'm more tired than I realized, now that I'm sitting still."

"That's alright," she reassured him. "Um, if you want, you could lie down for a while, too," she suggested. Ugh, she must sound desperate, but she really didn't want him to leave so soon. "It's your bed, after all."

"You sure? The cat suit's probably not the most comfortable thing to sleep next to, or in, for that matter."

"Oh! I didn't think about that." Ladybug's face burned under her mask. In the moment, she had somehow forgotten that there was a person under the mask, a person with pajamas and a toothbrush and a pillow he was probably missing.

"Tell you what, I'll turn out the light and let's see how dark it is." Ladybug nodded assent and he reached out to twist the switch on the lamp, plunging them into the warm summer night. She blinked, unable to see even a speck of light in the room. She startled when she felt the weight of Chat's foot on the mattress. He stepped over her and pulled back the quilt, slipping in behind her.

Chat Noir scooted close, wrapping an arm around her middle. He could feel Ladybug tense up in the dark. "Is this okay?" he whispered.

"S-sure," she nodded. Her outer arm tightened over his above the quilt.

"Can you see me?"

"I can't see anything," Ladybug replied honestly.

"Alright, then. Plagg, claws off," he whispered. Ladybug squeezed her eyes shut extra tight when the magic light of Chat Noir's transformation threatened to seep through the cracks. He hugged her close, his sharp chin digging into her shoulder. A strand of his hair tickled her ear as she felt him relax against her. With an effort, she relaxed too, pressing her shoulders into his lean torso.

Adrien felt the thin fabric of Ladybug's nightgown under his hand. He resisted the urge to stroke the soft surface; he could feel her ribcage underneath as she inhaled short, shallow draws of air.

Ladybug blinked her eyes open and shut in the inky black. Now her partner was just… a man. A boy? He could be anyone. "Chaton?" she whispered. He burrowed against her shoulder, listening. "I never asked. How old are you?"

"Sixteen, same as you."

"Oh." His voice, so close to her ear, gave her goosebumps. She tried not to let it show. She could find out who he was; all it would take was one of them flicking on the lamp next to her mattress. She rolled over to face him, even though she knew she couldn't see him. Now that his mask was gone, he wouldn't see her either. She still felt his regard in the dark, his limbs wrapped loosely around her ribs. She reached up shyly and plucked at the soft fabric of his shirt. "I knew you were in school, but I didn't realize we're in the same year."

"Yeah. Maybe we can study together in the fall to keep you up to date," he suggested.

"That's a good idea. I could test out when I'm older if I keep up." She smoothed his shirt back against his chest. Adrien's hand twitched with the desire to reach up and hold hers, but he forced himself to stay still.

"Ladybug, I-" he started, but shook his head against the pillow.

"What, Chat?"

"Are you okay?" he asked instead, the sweet smell of his breath wafting to her nose. She knew that wasn't what he'd been about to say, but she let it go. She brought her hand higher, trailing fingers over his familiar jaw, reaching up past his lips with her thumb to touch the nose and brow she'd never seen. She pushed his tumble of blond hair back from his face and stretched up, up until her lips met his forehead. Adrien's skin came alive at the contact and he slowly expelled a shaky breath.

"Goodnight, Chaton," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Ladybug." _I love you_ , he thought, pulling her closer as she tucked her head down against his chest.

Ladybug woke to the distant sound of a single bird outside her window. Light bled through her closed eyelids, which she wrenched tightly shut as her memory of the previous night reemerged. She slowly opened one eye just enough to peer through a film of eyelashes, intentionally keeping her vision fuzzy and unfocused as she reached her hand forward on the pillow to touch Chat Noir. She only pressed down on cool fabric. He was already gone.


	14. Day 21: Runaway Part 5

Day 21: Trusting

Runaway: Part 5

Adrien could have kicked himself for not putting two and two together sooner. He blamed it on the summer photoshoot schedule his dad and Nathalie had put together for him. His vacation from school had focused on two things: work and… well, being Chat Noir was work, too, a lot of the time. Any spare moment had been spent at the Cattery with Ladybug, or in related errands: picking up dinner for the two of them, finding a small dorm fridge so she could keep cold drinks, searching out a second-hand camp stove so she could cook a little.

The girl really was miraculous, he thought, remembering when she requested eggs and then managed to bake a delicious dessert for the two of them in her dutch oven, right there on an open flame. Adrien shook his head. _Don't get distracted. You're angry, remember?_

He paced his room, waiting for the sun to go down. There was hardly any traffic in the warehouse district Ladybug stayed in, but there was even less at night. They needed to talk seriously and he wouldn't be surprised if he put her on the defensive. He was usually content to back down, seeing as how she was the tactician of the two in battle, but this was different. She was going back to her parents. He'd make sure of it.

The moment the sun dropped below the horizon, Chat Noir leapt free of his narrow window and started the long trek across the city. His first clue about Ladybug's identity had come a week ago, when Nathalie had taken a call for him from Marinette's parents, looking for their daughter. Nathalie had spoken to them and later communicated the information to him, but something must have gotten lost in translation. He didn't understand then that they'd been looking for their daughter for weeks, not hours. It wasn't until today, when Alya called in desperation, that he found out Marinette had run away from home. Alya started out calm and collected, but by the end of the call she was a sobbing mess of worry. She hadn't bothered to try him earlier, she said, because he'd been working all summer and no one from school had seen him. It was a last ditch effort. No one could find a trace of Marinette. He could still see Alya's fearful eyes on the phone screen.

"I k-know you two aren't all that close, b-but honestly, you could totally hide someone in your house. At least, Nino thinks so. You aren't hiding her, are you?"

Adrien shook his head no, aghast. "I'd never do that to her parents - or you! I promise I would tell you if I knew where she was, Alya. I'm sorry I don't have a lot of time, but I'll try to help search, too. Keep me updated, okay?" The broken-hearted girl nodded curtly and cut off the call. Adrien had an odd moment of confusion as he pondered why Marinette's disappearance felt so familiar. He sucked in a deep breath as the two halves of his life collided and coincidence became too improbable to ignore. "She's Ladybug," he said out loud to his empty bedroom.

"What?" Plagg looked up from his tray of camembert on the sofa.

"Marinette is Ladybug." Adrien turned to his kwami and swiped both hands down his face with a sigh. Guilt hit hard as he realized the huge lie he had just told Alya.

"The klutz? You've got to be kidding."

"Well, if I want confirmation, I suppose I could try to get a list of all the 16 year olds reported missing in Paris on the exact day she left. I was trying to respect her secret identity."

"So what does it matter? Ladybug asked you for help to run away. It's what she wants. Knowing who she is doesn't change anything."

"Yeah, it does, actually. I wish I'd thought harder about Ladybug having friends and family from the beginning. It… totally makes sense now why she's been holed up in that little room and hardly gone anywhere. Her family - her whole support network is amazing. Now she's only got Chat Noir. It isn't enough. I'm not enough. She needs to go back home."

Plagg harrumphed and muttered something about fragile human emotions.

"Plagg, you haven't seen the change in her. She's still good in a fight, but… it's like all the color's washing out of her. I know what this is. I fought to go to school because of it. She can't take being lonely like this for much longer. And it's not right, what she's doing to her parents." Adrien stared through the floor as he thought hard.

"So what are you gonna do? Drag her bodily from that little room?" Adrien's green eyes grew hard as he looked at his kwami.

"We'll start with talking."

* * *

Ladybug started when she glanced at her window and saw Chat Noir sitting on the sill. How long had he been there? The daylight had long since gone and his black costume nearly melted into the night as he watched her with green glowing cat's eyes. "Geez, Chat, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" She brought a hand dramatically to her chest. Ladybug was still wearing the "daywear" Tikki had concocted for her to keep her cool in the un-airconditioned warehouse - it fit like running shorts and a tank top, with enough ease to let her skin breathe, unlike what she now considered her "work suit".

Chat Noir was silent for another moment and she uneasily tried to gauge his expression. Then his face blossomed into a smile and she wondered if she had imagined the serious look in the half-dark. "Sorry about that," he apologized, stepping into the room. "How was your day?"

"Uneventful - after we took down that akuma, of course." Ladybug smiled again, but still got the same weird vibe off of Chat when he was slow to smile back. "What's up with my favorite Kitty?"

Even that comment got no response as he stepped closer, coming into her space until they were nearly nose-to-nose. Ladybug fought the urge to step back.

"Not much. I had a tough phone call with a friend earlier. It reminded me how hard it can be when no one is looking out for you."

Ladybug's expression turned sympathetic. "Is that… what it's like for you?" She shook her head, "Scratch that, pretend I didn't ask. I don't want-"

"-me to reveal my identity. I know, Ladybug. But to answer your question, which is personal, not specific, yes, it _was_ like that for me for a long time. It's not anymore, in part because I have you, and in part because I have really good friends. It makes up for the missing pieces." He held her eyes for a beat, searching them, but Ladybug couldn't take his intense scrutiny. Instead, she dropped into her seat at the table, where her half-finished dinner sat. She faced her plate and picked up her utensils, avoiding his gaze. Chat Noir sighed and took the other seat.

"Ladybug, you don't know anyone else anymore. Can't you tell me who you are?" He'd never pressured her so directly. Chat Noir felt absolutely certain of his knowledge, but he'd feel better if it came from her lips, her own admission.

"No." She didn't even look up, slipping a bite of salad in her mouth.

"No?"

"No, Chat. This situation is temporary. I'm going to be Ladybug until I'm old and gray. In two years, it'll be like this summer never happened. I can re-establish myself in Paris and no one can make me leave. We'll be the same as before." She still refused to look up, taking a sip of water to wash down her bite.

Chat Noir sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. She had no idea how much that hurt, her desire to erase all the moments this summer had brought them. Even when she had no one else in the world, she still couldn't bring herself to trust him. "Good God, you're stubborn. Look, Marinette, I know it's you."

Ladybug choked on her sip of water, face turning red and eyes streaming as her throat made little noises trying to cough it back out. Startled, Chat Noir jumped up and whacked her hard on the back. She finally emitted a cough and drew in a ragged breath, then coughed in earnest, doubling over the edge of her seat. Chat Noir continued to slap her back until she filled her lungs up enough to splutter, "That-doesn't-help!" before leaning over to cough some more. Unsure, he stood over her until the fit finally eased and she leaned back in her chair with an exhausted groan. "Tikki, spots off," she said, clearing her throat roughly. A small red creature tumbled away as she transformed. Chat Noir stared in wonder at the girl before him. Of course it was Marinette. How had he never seen it? The final proof brought it home to him in a way his supposition hadn't. No longer hypothesis, but proven theory.

"Chat Noir, so good to see you!" Tikki enthused, bobbing toward him. "Marinette, you didn't offer him dinner," she chided, looking down at her chosen with a frown.

"I'm good," Chat Noir replied, holding up one hand. "It's great to meet you, Tikki, but we're not done here. Marinette, the friend that called me today is Alya. She's falling apart worrying about you."

Marinette turned wide, stricken eyes up to him. "Alya?" she repeated in a hollow tone. "I never- I just- wait, how do you even know her? Did she contact you through the Ladyblog or something?"

"The answer's a lot more obvious than that. Plagg-"

"No, wait! Please, I don't want to endanger you or your family, Chat."

"It's too late, Marinette. I can't walk away knowing what I know. Plagg, claws off." As a swirl of green light traveled up from his feet to ruffle his hair, Adrien watched Marinette, who had closed her eyes. For a second, he thought she might keep them closed out of stubbornness, but then he saw the silent tears that tracked down her cheeks. She blinked and her beautiful blue bell eyes snapped fully open when she saw his face.

"Adrien? I can't believe this. All this time…"

"Yeah, I know. I was literally under your nose." Marinette barely managed a smile in response. "Marinette, your family's going crazy searching for you. Our whole class is looking. If I weren't busy working for my father this summer, I'd have known a lot sooner. It's ridiculous for you to think you could disappear from your life and then waltz back in two years later like nothing happened. It was ridiculous of me to go along with it. You're _hurting_ people, Marinette. I know that's not Ladybug, and I know that's not you."

Marinette's face fell, her cheeks burning with shame. She rubbed her elbow as she stood before Adrien, trying to squeeze back tears. _Oh, Alya…_ knowing how badly she'd wounded her friend was almost worse than knowing what her parents were going through. Marinette was a tangle of embarrassment and sadness… but relief was mixed in, too. No more pretending, no more bravery as she lay alone in the warm, quiet nights. She met his eyes, nodding assent. "Chat - Adrien, please take me home."


	15. Day 23: Addictive

**Hi there! Thank you so much for reading! I have enjoyed this opportunity to stretch my creative writing skills with these Ladynoir July prompts.**

 **I'd really like some feedback as to which, if any, of these short stories is your favorite, and why? Or if you don't have a favorite, just letting me know how some of these concepts/AUs/environments make you feel. I tried to take several of the prompts in unusual directions, so I'd love to know how that works for the readers.**

 **Thank you again!**

Day 22: Sharing Food is an illustration of the Dutch oven dessert evening alluded to in Part 5 of Runaway. If you look up lalunaunita on Tumblr, you can find it there.

Day 23: Addictive

"Oh, Em, Gee, that movie was terrifying." Ladybug gripped Chat Noir's arm as they walked to the edge of the empty drive-in movie lot. They had stayed to the end of the movie credits to avoid being seen by the other patrons, but Chat Noir certainly hadn't minded. He still didn't know how he'd convinced her to come out and see one of the old Nightmare on Elm Street flicks ("It's a classic!" he'd insisted), but the result spoke for itself. He grinned down at the girl on his arm.

"You're stronger, faster, and smarter than Freddie. I'd bet on you in a dark alley any day," he reassured her and was rewarded with a smile.

"Yeah, but he gets in your dreeeeeeams," she rejoined in a spooky voice. "And oh, gosh, that poor girl when he had needles on his gloves…" she trailed off with a shiver. "I don't know if horror movies are really for me. More than half the cast always dies." They took to the air together, her yo-yo buzzing out and he following with his baton. They dropped to a familiar rooftop to say goodbye.

"You'll be fine getting home on your own?" Chat Noir asked her, knowing the response.

"Well, I don't have a choice, do I? I'll be fine." She waved off his concerns and her irrational fears in the same gesture. "See ya. Bug out!"

Chat Noir was halfway home when his baton beeped a text alert to him. He slowed his pace on a rooftop and checked the small screen. The first text made him smile; something about jumping at her own shadow. The second text asked him to meet over at Rue Augereau, atop Le Cafe de Mars. Puzzled, he turned back and went to find her.

Chat Noir landed on the roof of Le Cafe de Mars and peered around in the darkness.

"Chat. I'm right here." He saw a familiar red glove come forth out of a shadow of the structure to beckon him with one crooked finger. He came closer and his night vision kicked in, showing the slow smile that spread across Ladybug's lips as she leaned back against a brick wall. "I missed you," she sighed, stretching languidly.

"Ladybug, you just saw me. We were together all evening." Despite himself, Chat Noir's eyes roved over his partner, who seemed somehow more… unrestrained than usual. She reached up to run her palm over his cheek.

"What can I say? I guess your company is addictive." A chill started at the crown of Chat Noir's head and ran all the way down his spine as Ladybug brushed a light thumb over his lips. "Why don't we ever kiss? We spend all this time together, fighting during the day, patrolling at night. Your lips are lovely," she sighed, hooking her other hand into Chat Noir's belt. Alarm bells went off in his head, but he allowed himself to be tugged closer, mesmerized. "Are my lips not kissable? Is that the problem?" Ladybug pouted her lower lip out and Chat Noir swallowed thickly against a dry throat.

"No," he whispered, "that's not the problem."

"Then what _is_ the problem?" she purred, leaning her hips forward to press against him as she pulled his face down to meet hers.

"There is no problem," he managed before leaning in to entreat her mouth with his. She tasted sweet, like strawberries and sugar. He inhaled to take in the scent of her as she eagerly met his mouth, folding both arms around his head and neck to drag him down to her level. He reached for her hips and flattened her against him, just as she took his lower lip between hers. A sharp pain pierced his reverie, and he jerked back, surprised. "What was that?" he muttered, reaching up to feel his injured lip with one glove, then using his tongue when he remembered he was in costume.

Ladybug smiled wide, revealing twin rows of needles where her teeth should have been. The neon outline of a purple butterfly blazed around her eyes in the dark. He drew back from her, horrified, even as his vision started to go fuzzy and his mind blanked. He tried to step back, but his legs felt curiously disconnected. His pricked lip began to burn and he could feel the poison working its way through his body. "Now you're addicted to me, too," said Ladybug, a watery echo following her words as he slipped down into the dark.


	16. Day 25: Sober

Day 24: Summer Nights is being swept into a multi-prompt illustration that I'm praying I can finish before the 31st. :)

Day 25: Sober

"...Chat? Is that you?" Ladybug rubbed her gritty eyes and felt around in the darkness with her other hand. The quiet sound of a snore that was half-purr stopped, replaced by a muffled cough.

"Yeah. You okay?" Chat Noir mumbled. She heard him sigh and stretch, his muscular arm whacking her across her aching face. She groaned and he rolled over to cradle her cheeks gently with both claws. "So sorry, Bug!"

"More quiet," she whispered as her head pounded in rhythm with his words.

"Sorry," he whispered again. He released her cheeks and she passed a gloved hand over her painful forehead.

"Was I hit?" Ladybug asked, feeling for an injury that would explain why her watermelon head was about to split in two. Every place she touched set off a wave of pain.

"Um, yeah, I guess you could say that," agreed Chat Noir. She heard the clink of a glass and something was pressed unerringly in her hand. Oh yeah. His night vision. "Take these," he instructed and she put the pills in her mouth. A water glass was pressed to her lips and she swallowed down a mouthful with the pills.

"Thanks. Why does my head hurt, Chat? And where are we?"

Chat Noir sighed in the dark. "That's a long story. Are you sure you're up for it?" Ladybug felt around a little more, adjusting herself against the cushy surface they were on and accidentally grabbing a handful of Chat Noir in the process. She let go as if burned; she had no idea where she'd touched him.

"No, actually, talking seems to be a new way to drill holes into my skull." A sudden memory flashed across her mind's eye in the pitch black. She, obstinately hanging onto a street lamp for dear life and Chat tugging at her ankle, pleading with her to come down. Ladybug blushed. "Please tell me fighting an akuma did this to me."

"Um… yes, yes an akuma fight is the cause."

"I'm going back to sleep," she grumped, feeling righteously indignant on her own behalf. She rolled away from Chat Noir and forced her eyes closed, listening to the thump in her head that beat painfully with her heart.

Chat Noir carefully drew his hands behind his head and sighed. His ridiculous sheet-tent over his bed was possibly the worst idea he'd ever come up with. A wily, garrulous Ladybug hadn't left him much time to come up with a plan, though. And after she was done with her hangover, they still had an akuma to capture...


	17. Day 26: Falling

Day 26: Falling

"Crossing the forward window now. Hey, guys," Ladybug took a moment to wave to Alya and Nino with her free hand as she passed over the broad space-station window. She drifted purposefully toward the communication tower bolted to the top of the main section of the small structure, a bag of parts and tools dragged in her wake.

"Copy that, Ladybug. We see you," replied Alya. She leaned back in her chair and gave Ladybug a thumbs-up with a grin.

"En route to meet you, Ladybug," Chat Noir confirmed. She could see the black outline of his space suit edged in green neon stripes to set him apart against the dark backdrop of stars. He hooked into the safety bars of the comm tower and made a show of waiting, nonchalant, with arms crossed over his chest.

Ladybug stretched out a hand in her red suit and gripped the safety bar, then clipped in and set her feet against the metal siding of the comm array to steady herself. She passed Chat Noir a screwdriver and they got to work unfastening a panel.

"So… how you _feline_ today?" Chat asked, knowing the station staff could hear every word. They heard Alya's bark of laughter in their speakers.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Fine, Chat. Focus-" she pointed as one of the screws he'd loosened attempted to float away and he was quick to grab it with a magnetic glove.

They worked diligently at a job that would have taken only minutes in a gravity environment, moving slowly and checking constantly that they had a handle on all the pieces they couldn't replace. When they were done and the last screw was tightened back down, Chat sighed and tilted back to look at the bright globe of Earth, above and behind him. Ladybug followed his line of sight, enjoying the sensation of hanging upside down over her planet as it shone in blues and greens and whites.

"Ladybug?" Chat was quiet, still staring at the world above his head, "You ever feel like maybe you missed your calling?"

Ladybug's eyes darted to him, but he didn't meet her gaze. "I don't know, Chat, being an astronaut is a pretty specific, dedicated career path. At this point, with all the years spent, I think I better be sure this is my calling. Don't you agree?"

"Mmmm. Yeah, I do. I just wonder sometimes what else we could have done - or I guess, I could have done - with my powers. Am I really helping people in the best way?"

Ladybug couldn't help the warm smile that graced her lips as he finally turned his eyes to meet hers. "Chat Noir, if that's your motivation, then you'll always be helping people the best you can. Don't doubt it."

His trademark grin reappeared and they secured their lines together, Ladybug hooking the bag of tools back to her belt. She checked her life support counter - still five dots available; this spacewalk hadn't taken them much time.

"Ready to go?" asked Chat Noir.

"Affirmative," she agreed and they pushed away from the comm tower back toward the main hatch. As they drifted confidently over the rounded bulk of the station, Ladybug thought she caught a streak of light out of the corner of her eye. "What was that? Alya? Nino? Did you catch it?"

"Affirmative," Nino replied. "Small meteor, but it missed us. Don't worry, Ladybug, there's nothing else on the screen." Ladybug breathed a sigh of relief. The station was reinforced, but in her mind, the unexpected was always the enemy out here.

The pair reached the hatch and were just about to clip in when another streak passed over the edge of her vision. "Nino?" Ladybug asked again, a nervous edge to her voice.

"It's… I don't know what I'm seeing, Ladybug. The sensors are acting up. Look to the rear of the station. Can you make a visual confirmation of anything?" Both she and Chat Noir craned their heads as much as their suits would allow them, looking out away from Earth to the vast dark surrounding them. Ladybug gasped when she saw a group of white lights streaking toward them - still distant, but massive enough to create a visual cloud of opaque white. Where had those come from? Here and there, a few had broken away and moved forward of the main mass; these streaked toward and past them at an alarming speed.

"What is it?" Chat Noir growled, voice tense and low.

"Nino! Tell me you've got this! I don't know what they are?" Ladybug reported. She tried to slow her heartrate as one of the lights ( _meteors?_ ) came alarmingly close. Chat Noir began the protocol to open the hatch; both of them felt dangerously naked outside the station.

A metallic squeal caused the astronauts to uselessly clutch at their helmets, but it was quickly replaced by a voice, slow to speak, but with pure malice in its tone.

"I ammmm [crackle] Hawkmmmmoth. You - arrrrrre - [crackle] - You willll rrrrelinquisshh the Mirrrraculousss."

"What? No!" Ladybug's blurted refusal resulted in an angry howl that blasted through their helmet speakers. Both astronauts reeled in pain. Chat Noir recovered first, his eyes going wide as he stared into the black.

"Ladybug! Unclip!" He fumbled with his carabiner for a moment, then unsheathed the claws at his fingertips and swiped through their reinforced nylon safety lines. They floated free just as a tiny light shot by and slammed silently into a jutting panel in front of Ladybug. She blinked, shocked. Was that a butterfly?

A hail of butterflies rained across her vision then, pummeling the space station and knocking the two astronauts back and away from its side. Chat Noir and Ladybug screamed as they lifted their arms to protect their helmets; they could hear Nino and Alya screaming inside as the force of the butterfly/meteor avalanche pushed the space station out of orbit and pierced its tough skin in a million places. They spun as they were flung away; for one last moment, Ladybug could hear Alya's shrieks and then the sound was cut off and all she heard was static and her own breathing. Heart racing, she stabilized herself with the thrusters in her suit, just in time to see the space station drop lower toward the Earth, miles in every moment, becoming a speck that ignited in the upper atmosphere and flared brightly against the blue backdrop.

"Oh, my God," she whispered, her breath coming in fast, short pants that clouded her helmet with moisture. She swallowed and forced her breathing to slow. "They're gone." Ladybug fought the urge to go into shock. She could see Chat Noir pushing down the wild panic that surfaced in his own eyes.

The painful crackle of Hawkmoth's transmission reestablished itself. "The Mirrrraculoussss?" it intoned.

Ladybug ignored the alien grating in her ears and used her thrusters to reach Chat Noir, grabbing his arms and pressing their helmets together. "Chat, can you hear me?" she asked.

"Yeah; our comms are working, thank God," he replied. She could see him swallow, his adam's apple bobbing above the neck of his tight inner suit.

"Even if Houston can reestablish contact with us, they won't get anyone here before our life support runs out."

"That's not very optimistic," he chided, face drawn in a rictus caricature of his usual grin.

"We knew the risks. We accepted them. You think this joker's going to stop with our Miraculous?"

Chat Noir shook his head, his brow darkening in anger. "I think I've found my true calling, LB. You up for this?" He slid his telescoping emergency baton free of its sleeve on the back of his suit.

Ladybug checked the life support readout on the sleeve of her suit. They only had a couple of hours, anyway. Even if Hawkmoth elected to leave them alone, no one was coming in time to rescue them. She could see her hardened resolve reflected in Chat Noir's expression.

"Believe it, Kitty. Let's save the world."


End file.
